I call myself an Idea Monkey because I love to solve problems with disruptive ideas. This passion for problem solving led me to establish Maddock Douglas, Inc. in 1991. Maddock Douglas has become an internationally recognized innovation agency that helps leading corporations invent and launch new products, services and business models. We also help them create cultures that know how to innovate successfully. It is the perfect place for Idea Monkeys like me and the (Ring)leaders who keep them on track. Entrepreneurship is a big part of my life. As an adult (I really don’t need to talk about the lawn care business and greeting card company I started in high school and college), I have launched five successful businesses. I also cochair the Gathering of Titans Entrepreneurial Conclave at MIT, and I’m past president of Entrepreneurs’ Organization and current Chair of Young Presidents’ Organization, both chapters located in Chicago. Today, I am a featured innovation columnist for Forbes and author of three books: Free the Idea Monkey...to focus on what matters most! and Brand New: Solving the Innovation Paradox and Flirting with the Uninterested, Innovating in a "Sold, not Bought" Category. I am a frequent keynote speaker and have a passion for inspiring and empowering innovation leaders by helping them build the types of culture and processes that lead to new product success.

Mr. President, You Are Correct. I Didn't Build 'That.'

Recently, our President used some unfortunate language to point out that entrepreneurs rely heavily on government-provided support to be successful. While I am grateful to be a business owner in the greatest country on earth, and I am aware that I benefit from roads and national security, his comments got me thinking.

So here is a top-of-mind list of seven things my fellow entrepreneurs and I didn’t build:

#1) A tax code that has nine times as many words as the Bible. I wouldn’t build the tax code. I am a simple man. Besides, as a businessperson, I like rules and procedures that everyone can understand quickly. Complicated rules tend to slow things down and require many, many more people and billable man-hours to manage them. What entrepreneur would want to create something that would waste so much time and effort?

#2) A $56 trillion pile of debt. For you trivia buffs, that is a debt that on a per capita basis is worse than Greece, Italy, Ireland, Portugal and Spain. And it’s growing by $150 million an HOUR. I couldn’t possibly build this because I would have been out of business about the time my debt exceeded the price of a GSA convention. At about that time, the bank would come and take my house, which would make my wife really unhappy. Since I like to keep my wife happy, a large amount of debt is clearly a bad idea. The government doesn’t care about my wife, hence the debt.

#3)The roads. At 17 I got close to making roads. At the time, I was working in construction, which is close to roadwork. I was also working at a furniture company and 31 Flavors. As I recall, even back then the government was taxing my paychecks so they could make roads. Hey, maybe I did help make the roads! I just wish I had a chance to do something about the mess that is known as the Hillside Strangler—a locally famous convergence of highways in Chicago that was reported to be one of the 20 worst traffic congestion spots in the country. Because of this, former Illinois Gov. George H. Ryan promised to fix it. He’s now in jail.

#4) Government departments. I didn’t make one of these either, but I worked in one. In high school I got a summer job working in the Daley Center in Chicago. My first week on the job, I was told—in no uncertain terms—to “Slow the **ck down” by a coworker because I was working too hard and too fast. That pretty much convinced me that I wasn’t a fit for the public sector. I wouldn’t make a department where people were discouraged if they worked too hard.

#5) Government shipping practices. According to The Heritage Foundation, the Pentagon spent “$998,798 shipping two 19-cent washers from South Carolina to Texas and $293,451 sending an 89-cent washer from South Carolina to Florida.” For those of you scoring at home, that comes to a combined $1,292.249. My business had shipping charges of $176,000 last year. They seemed high to me until I read this statistic. Just for kicks, I shipped washers from Chicago to Florida and Texas. Happily, the company I built was able to do it for $1,292,248.20 less than the government. I used the U.S. Postal Service, which is now losing $25 million a day. Thankfully, I didn’t build that either.

#6) $500-a-plate dinners. I’ve never charged my “friends” to have dinner with me, but I gotta say, this is a pretty entrepreneurial idea. BBQ at the Maddock house! At $500 a plate, I’ll supply the (domestic) beer.

#7) GM or Bank of America. I didn’t think the government did either, but a whole bunch of tax dollars went their way. Wait, tax dollars? Hey, that was my money, too. Did I do that or did you do that?

See? Now I am confused.

Having started half a dozen companies, I consider myself a serial entrepreneur. I also consider myself a moderate, bipartisan guy who votes for the person, not the side of the aisle they sit on. I voted for President Obama. I also voted for President Bush. You’re both very welcome.

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Hey No Bama, thanks for your kind words. I won’t take the Democratic vs. Republican bait. I’d rather focus on pushing our government–both parties–to make decisions that help businesses do what they do best while making comments that celebrate their good work.

Mr. Maddock, It’s a great column but you leave me wondering. You want to focus on pushing govt to make decisions that help businesses … How in the heck did you ever decide to vote for Obama? I saw plenty of indicators he wasn’t going to be good for businesses — excepting those that wanted to get cozy with the govt. You did not see that?

Or did it take you 3-1/2 years to figure M. Obama & team are a bad idea? (Yes, I’ll grant you Sen. McCain was not an inspiring alternative and the GOP needed an electoral spanking.)

Thanks Mr. Maddock. I need to ask the questions more carefully: did you cast your vote without thinking about the kind of “change” that M. Obama was going to bring? It looks like you did and now you’ve got the govt you deserve.

Frankly I expected better from you.

I admire your accomplishments but I don’t think you’ve applied the required hard-headed analysis to your political choices. Saying you vote for the person, not the party etc is just another way of saying you’ve not done your homework. You know what happens in your business in that case. You shouldn’t expect any better elsewhere.

Mr. Maddock, I’m not asking you to be cynical. Allow me to point out that Mr. Obama has done – or tried to do – what he said he would. If anyone says they were misled or are otherwise disappointed it is because they misled themselves.

I am only asking you to apply the same reasoned judgement to politicians asking for your vote that you apply to running your business. By that measure you would have rejected M. Obama. And you ought to reject him now.

If there’s any good to come from this it’s for people like you to accurately point out – as you are now doing – what govt is good at doing and what it is not. By that measure M. Obama and his team would be laughed out of town both for their performance to date and their proposals. Forward!

The Government ordains the institution of Corporations and for the purpose of creating domestic jobs and/or tax revenue streams. The Government grants limited financial exposure to Corporations as an incentive in attracting investors.

You take a risk in business however when you incorporate your risk is limited. You get to walk away from bad decisions that bankrupt the Corporation with all that you have earned and profitted without risk to your personal assets.